Gordon
Encyclopedia
Gordon is a surname with numerous different origins. The masculine given name
Gordon
is derived from the surname.
. This placename is derived from the Welsh language
elements gor, meaning "spacious"; and din, meaning "fort". Another possibility is from a similarly named place in Normandy
. The English surname Gordon is derived from the placename of Gourdon
, in Saône-et-Loire
, France
. This location is derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Gordus. In Ireland, the surname Gordon is of several different origins. One origin of the surname is from the Scottish surname, which spread into Ireland in the 17th century during the plantation era; in the Irish language this name is spelt de Górdún. Also, the surname Gordon is an Anglicised form of the Irish language
Mag Mhuirneacháin, which is a patronymic
form of the personal name Muirneachán. This personal name
is derived from the Irish language word muirneach, meaning "beloved". Another origin of the Irish name Gordon is as an Anglicised form of the Irish language surname Mórbhoirneach.
The Jewish surname Gordon is likely derived from the city of Grodno. There have been numerous suggestions for the origin of this name. One tradition amongst some bearers of this surname claim that they are descended from the son of a Duke of Gordon
, who converted to Judaism
in the 18th century; however, this Jewish surname was in use long before the 18th century.
The Spanish, and Galician surname Gordón is derived from places so-called in the Spanish
and Galician language
s. The Basque language
Gordon is also derived from a so-called placename. Another origin for the Spanish surname is from the nickname
Gordo, which is derived from the Spanish language word gordo, meaning "fat".
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
Gordon
Gordon (given name)
Gordon is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Scottish surname Gordon. It is uncertain if this surname originated from a place name in Scotland or in France. The Gordon in Berwickshire, where the family who bore the surname held lands in the 12th century, is...
is derived from the surname.
Origin of the surname
The Scottish surname Gordon may be derived from several locations. One possibility is from Gordon, in BerwickshireBerwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
. This placename is derived from the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
elements gor, meaning "spacious"; and din, meaning "fort". Another possibility is from a similarly named place in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. The English surname Gordon is derived from the placename of Gourdon
Gourdon, Saône-et-Loire
Gourdon is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.-References:*...
, in Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. This location is derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Gordus. In Ireland, the surname Gordon is of several different origins. One origin of the surname is from the Scottish surname, which spread into Ireland in the 17th century during the plantation era; in the Irish language this name is spelt de Górdún. Also, the surname Gordon is an Anglicised form of the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
Mag Mhuirneacháin, which is a patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
form of the personal name Muirneachán. This personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
is derived from the Irish language word muirneach, meaning "beloved". Another origin of the Irish name Gordon is as an Anglicised form of the Irish language surname Mórbhoirneach.
The Jewish surname Gordon is likely derived from the city of Grodno. There have been numerous suggestions for the origin of this name. One tradition amongst some bearers of this surname claim that they are descended from the son of a Duke of Gordon
Duke of Gordon
The title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 was created Duke of Gordon, Marquess of Huntly, Earl of Huntly...
, who converted to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in the 18th century; however, this Jewish surname was in use long before the 18th century.
The Spanish, and Galician surname Gordón is derived from places so-called in the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Galician language
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
s. The Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
Gordon is also derived from a so-called placename. Another origin for the Spanish surname is from the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
Gordo, which is derived from the Spanish language word gordo, meaning "fat".
List of nobility with the name Gordon
- Duke of GordonDuke of GordonThe title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 was created Duke of Gordon, Marquess of Huntly, Earl of Huntly...
, created once in the Peerage of Scotland, and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom - George Gordon, 4th Earl of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 4th Earl of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV. George Gordon inherited his earldom and estates in 1524 at age 10...
- George Gordon, 5th Earl of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 5th Earl of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly , was Lord Chancellor of Scotland and major conspirator of his time.-Biography:...
- George Gordon, 1st Marquess and 6th Earl of Huntly
Fictional characters
- Commissioner GordonJames Gordon (comics)James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, commissioner of Gotham City in Batman - Barbara GordonBarbara GordonBarbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
, first Batgirl, now the information broker known as Oracle - Dr. Bruce Gordon, the original alter-ego of EclipsoEclipsoEclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
. - Melinda Gordon, the title character of Ghost WhispererGhost WhispererGhost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
- Meredith Gordon, biological mother of Claire BennetClaire BennetClaire Bennet is a fictional character in the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. She is portrayed by Hayden Panettiere and first appeared on television in the pilot episode of the series, "Genesis" on September 25, 2006...
, and Flint Gordon, Meredith's brother, from HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the... - Flash GordonFlash GordonFlash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
, lead character of the Alex Raymond comic strip of the same name, and the movie, television, and comic books based on the comic strip - Maggie Gordon, character in The Last StarfighterThe Last StarfighterThe Last Starfighter is a 1984 science fiction adventure film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan , an average teenage boy recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also featured Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Norman...
- Gordon, The Talking Leg, character in Rocko's Modern LifeRocko's Modern LifeRocko's Modern Life is an animated series created by Joe Murray. The show aired for four seasons between 1993 and 1996 on Nickelodeon. Rocko's Modern Life is based around the surreal, parodic adventures of an anthropomorphic wallaby named Rocko, and his life in the city of O-Town...
- Gordon, the first archer to appear in the series Fire EmblemFire Emblemis a fantasy tactical role-playing video game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems , the maker of Advance Wars , and published by Nintendo...
- Gordon the GopherGordon the GopherGordon the Gopher, also known as Gordon T. Gopher, an English puppet gopher who first appeared on Children's BBC between 1985 and 1987, presenting television shows with Phillip Schofield on the interstitial or in-vision continuity programme The Broom Cupboard...
, puppet character from various British children's TV programmes - Gordon, the pet devil of Ackman in Akira Toriyama's manga series Go Go Ackman and its video game adaptation
- Gordon the Big EngineGordon the Big EngineGordon the Big Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry. Gordon is painted blue and carries the number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest and he pulls the Express...
, a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry - David "Gordo" Gordon in Lizzie McGuire
- Gordon Deitrich, character in V for Vendetta (film)V for Vendetta (film)V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...
- Gordon FreemanGordon FreemanGordon Freeman is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Half-Life video game series. He is a theoretical physicist who finds himself thrust into a battle for survival against both alien and human forces. Throughout the series, Gordon must prevail in hostile situations despite...
, main character in the Half Life series - Gordon Quid, character from Catscratch
- Gordon Robinson, from the popular children's educational television program Sesame Street
- Gordon Shumway (aka Alf Tanner), an alien from Melmac, and the title character of the sitcom ALF (TV series)ALF (TV series)ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
- Gordon TracyGordon TracyGordon Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds....
, fictional character from Thunderbirds - Gordon Walker, a hunter in the television series Supernatural
- Lawrence GordonLawrence Gordon (character)Dr. Lawrence Gordon is a fictional character in the Saw film series. He is portrayed by Cary Elwes. He was first seen in the original film Saw as one of the main protagonists.-Saw: Rebirth:...
, fictional character in the first of the Saw franchise - Tony GordonTony GordonAnthony "Tony" Gordon was a fictional character in the itv soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on screen on 16 September 2007 and making his final appearance on 9 June 2010 after deciding to sacrifice himself in the Underworld fire. He is a...
, fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street - Gordon, character in Edith Templeton'sEdith TempletonEdith Templeton was a novelist, who also wrote under the pseudonym Louise Walbrook.Edith Templeton was born in Prague in 1916. She was educated at the French lycée in Prague and left the city in 1938 to marry an Englishman. Her short stories began to appear in The New Yorker in the 1950s...
novel Gordon - Gordon GekkoGordon GekkoGordon Gekko is the main antagonist of the 1987 film Wall Street and the antihero of the 2010 film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, both by director Oliver Stone...
, fictional character in Wall StreetWall StreetWall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
played by Michael Dogulas - Gordon LaChance, fictional character in 'Stand by Me' played by Wil Wheaton
- Artemus Gordon, a United States Secret Service agent in "The Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
" TV series